


The Art of Understanding

by UrbanApple (BashfulButGotThere)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Academy, Art, Friends to Lovers, LAY THAT SWEETNESS ON ME, M/M, Never mind this got angsty, THIS IS TOO CUTE, Thrawn takes Eli out to the Art Exbition, Totally not a date, pinning, wink - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-05-12 23:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14737997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BashfulButGotThere/pseuds/UrbanApple
Summary: Short Au of Eli and Thrawn’s time on Coruscant. Basically, Thrawn hears about an art gallery and drags Eli along. Let the fluff commence with a hint of angst. Might change the rating later. Edit: Never mind there's a crap tonne of angst.





	1. Artistic Interests

Short Au of Eli and Thrawn’s time on Coruscant. Basically, Thrawn hears about an art gallery and drags Eli along.

 

‘Cadet Vanto?’

 

Eli turned from his desk where he had been attempting to read through the notes that he had taken in class and complete the assignment set. He saw Thrawn standing in the door way of their shared room. If truth be told he was glad of Thrawn’s sudden distraction. The notes that he had taken from the class were sketchy at best. The class was ‘The constructing and operation of laser cannons and their function in lethal combat’. He had unhelpfully put lots of question marks on the paper as the instructor who had taken the taken the class mostly rushed through it, not bothering to check if her students could keep up and looked venomously if a student dared to put their hand up and ask her to slow down.

 

‘Yes sir, what’s the problem?’ Eli replied. ‘You havin’ issues with the assignment to?’

‘No, in fact I have already finished it’

 

Of course he had, thought Eli dryly. In the month that they had been at the Academy Thrawn had been at the either at the top or at least near the top of every class. With a sneaking suspicion, Eli had thought that some of the instructors had tamped with Thrawn’s results to ensure he was not at the top of every class. Having a non-human and particularly one from the Outer rings top of every class would have caused a stir through the academy and as Eli was beginning to learn, the influential families of Coruscant took an interest in the education of their sons and daughters. To have their children beaten academically by an Outsider would have caused a lot of anger and since many had connections within the academy this meant that Thrawn would be kept below their children.

 

‘Then what can I help you with?’

‘This’

Thrawn walked towards him and showed him the pamphlet in his hand. Eli looked at it and read:

_For one week only, see the Galaxy’s Greatest Artworks Exhibition at the Galaxies Opera House, Uscru District. Gaze on the wonders created by the Artists of the Galactic Empire!_

Eli looked back at Thrawn.

‘Uh?’

‘Can you explain to me what this is cadet?’ Thrawn said. ‘The event on the pamphlet’ he added.

 

Eli took the pamphlet.

‘Well, it seems to be an event to show off the fancy art work of the Empire,’ Eli replied, ‘probably the work of some of them rich folk on Coruscant with too much time on their hands’.

‘Is that so?’ Thrawn had an interested note in his voice. ‘So, do only those with time on their hands and money in their pockets create such art and have it displayed?’

Eli hesitated.

‘In all honesty, I never really had that much time to think about it. Creating art and putting on display was more of a rich folk occupation. See in the Outer rings most of us have to fight to survive and put food on the table for our families so creating art and putting on display,’ Eli swallowed ‘is seen as a, uh… waste of time.’

Thrawn raised his eyebrow.

‘Really? But you people have time to tell tales and legends of the Galaxy and the Chiss but not to create art?’

‘That’s different you see,’ Eli answered, ‘Tales can be told over dinner or to get younguns to fall asleep but art, in like painting and stuff, takes time when you could be working to feed your family, sir’.

‘I see. So, time is the true currency of your people’

Eli stiffened at the word ‘your people’. It reminded him all too well that he was just like Thrawn, he was an outsider, never to really fit in with the core cadets of the Royal Imperial Academy.

Seeming to notice this change, Thrawn drew back and soften his expression.

‘My apologies, I did not mean to offend. I was merely curious of this event, as on my home world we do not have such… _exhibitions_.’ Thrawn rolled the word around his mouth like testing a new food or drink.

‘I would therefore like to visit this _exhibition,_ to grow my understanding of art work of the Galactic Empire’

‘Be my guest,’ Eli responded and turning away from Thrawn back to his desk and his assignment. ‘You gonna have get permission though, they don’t let cadets wander about Coruscant by themselves, sir’.

‘I have already sought permission cadet, and I have been granted the authorisation to take you along with me’

Eli swung round in his chair and looked wide-eyed at Thrawn.

‘Me? Why?’ he spluttered.

‘To act as my translator of course,’ Thrawn replied coolly. ‘And to keep,’ he paused, ‘an eye on me as a non-human, I could get in to all sorts of trouble on my own’ he added dryly.

Eli’s mind was a whir. What could Thrawn be thinking taking an Outsider like him to some fancy art display? The only art he had ever seen was usually boxed up and ready to be transported in by his family’s shipping company. He had only taken glimpses of it though, paintings of people and worlds far beyond his own and funny sculptures carved into animal like figures. He had no clue of what other art could be out there.

‘Are you sure?’ Eli questioned.

‘Absolutely sure, cadet. I would have chosen no one else.’

I’m the only person you could have chosen, Eli thought bitterly. Eli could probably count on his hand the number of people who Thrawn could be considered ‘likeable’ and none of them had known him as well as Eli. Only him.

Eli sighed.

‘I wouldn’t be a good companion. I don’t know a thing about art, sir’

‘Cadet, do not misunderstand me. If I was looking for an expert in art I would have inquired for one however, as the situation is I am not as aware of the many cultures of this galaxy which, this knowledge you do posse. You hold an interesting perspective that I would’ Thrawn paused, seeming unable to find right word. ‘Ben’yato?’ he said in Sy Bisti.

‘Desire, sir.’

‘Yes, that’

‘You’re very interested in the way I look at things’ Eli said accusingly. ‘Why?’

 

Thrawn tilted his head and Eli saw his eyes swiftly examining all of him. He had done that a lot recently. Eli had noticed it, the more they talked about Eli and his life the more drawn Thrawn seemed to be too him, asking him questions and pausing thoughtfully when Eli gave him his answers. Eli could not understand it for the life of him, but for another reason some illogical part of him didn’t mind it. In a funny way it was nice to have someone interested in his way of life who didn’t judge or sneer at him. He could talk freely about it and Thrawn would be… _attracted_? That was a bad word to use, Eli hurriedly thought.

 

‘It is useful cadet,’ Thrawn responded ‘to have alternative views on a subject. I believe that in order to understand, one must look through the lens of another to fully understand the picture that they are viewing at. This offers alternative perspective and so useful to the viewer. This grants further depth to the art piece. Do you understand?’

‘Yes?’ Eli replied. He had no kriffing clue what Thrawn was on about.

Thrawn sighed.

‘Consider this then, a learning exercise in artistic perspective, which can be applied to other aspects of life’

‘Sure,’ Eli said. ‘I’d love to come but this assignment is harder than Doomium and will probably take days to finish it’

‘Poor note taking would contribute in that’ Thrawn prompted.

‘Not my fault the instructor says her stuff a million kilometres per hour.’ Eli muttered.

‘I believe the instructor talks at a normal pace for a human that is, if a little intently. Her wording is sometimes overly complex but I believe that may be due to her wanting to impress on us her intelligence.’

Eli stared at Thrawn incredulously.

‘Wha..’

‘In other words, I will aid you with this assignment and lend you my notes, but only this once.’

‘Sir no.’

‘While this is against normal protocol, I believe in this situation we have an exception. I will not allow you to copy my work, of course, but we will work together in order to complete this assignment and go to this… exhibition.’

‘Sir wait’

‘What Eli?’ Thrawn snapped impatiently.

 

With the intensity of Thrawn’s glare on him, Eli quailed a little but he readied himself. He could feel his cheeks burning and feel his heart beating hard in his ears. He couldn’t go through with this. This was happening all too soon and what would folk think when they saw them out in public together? Rumours were already flying around the academy as is, and Eli didn’t want to confirm anything. Misconceptions travelled further than the truth round these parts. Eli, of course had no problem with inter-species relationships. He’d grown up knowing a few couples, mostly humans and Twi'leks and he’d even known Vek and Sholland, a human and Mon Calamari couple who were fierce competitors of his own family’s business. But him and Thrawn?

 

‘I can’t’ Eli cleared his throat. ‘I…’

‘Why not?

‘Sorry, sir?’

‘Why do you refuse my aid? In this case I believe this would mostly benefit you. This is our final assignment of the class and the one that is worth the most on the final mark. If you obtain an excellent mark in this class it could further your expertise and put you as a prominent candidate for a position as a supply officer. I on the other hand, only benefit from the small percentage of your time.’

‘Time is an expensive currency to my kind sir’ Eli replied calmly.

Thrawn hesitated. This is was perhaps, the first time Eli had seen Thrawn pause at his words. Not because he was thinking about some detail of Eli’s home world but because Eli had countered and surprised him. Eli couldn’t help feeling a small sense of triumph as he saw the Chiss frown and begin to try to come up with a counter argument.  

‘I’ll do it’ Eli said suddenly.

‘What?’

‘I’ll come with you, if you’d help me with the assignment’ Eli said. He wasn’t too sure of what he had just done. No! He felt his logical side scream at him. What would people think! Who cares? Said another unfamiliar confident voice. Thrawn had told him not to let people get to him and was he really out to impress a bunch of stuck up core people? He hadn’t sunk that low.

Thrawn’s expression relaxed and he walked towards Eli and his shared desk.

‘To work then?’ He pulled out his notes from his bag and drew up a chair next to Eli. ‘Then we shall begin.’  

 

***

 

Hours later, or so it felt like to Eli, they had nearly completed the assignment and his eye lids were beginning to droop.

‘Eli!’

‘What! Uh…’ Eli looked around rubbing his eyes to look at Thrawn ‘The answer to that is 426!’

‘That is incorrect since that was the answer to the previous question and not this one. Eli, are you falling asleep?’

‘No sir, I…’ Eli was furious at himself. He was so close to finishing. The assignment had been stupidly difficult. Only with Thrawn’s notes and his detailed explanations had highlighted how little Eli had known during the class. Thrawn had taught him an entire month’s worth of class in just a few short hours and he silently cursed the instructor for her terrible teaching. On the other hand, Thrawn was an excellent teacher, he was patience with Eli and ensured that Eli understood every aspect of the topic so he could understand what the question wanted. He had at one point jokingly asked if Thrawn wanted to go into the instructor stream after his graduation but one cold look showed that Thrawn was less than enthusiastic about the idea.      

‘Cadet if you do not feel you are able’

‘No! I can. Just give me a minute!’ Eli responded.

Eli took one hard look at the final question.

 

_In the event of an emergency in battle were the laser beam becomes critically unstable, certain protocols must be taken in order to ensure the safe discontinuation of a laser beam to ensure that it does not cause any undesirable effects (leaking, exploding, unknown personnel controlling etc). List in order the…_

 

But Eli couldn’t concentrate for much longer. The words began to swirl around the page and he felt his head loll sideways and his vision became covered by darkness.

 

Thrawn froze. Eli’s head was resting on his shoulder. His deep breaths and limp body indicated that he had already entered a deep sleep stage. He still held the pen as though he was just about to write the final answer. His face was what caught Thrawn attention most. It was peaceful. This was probably the most peaceful that Thrawn had seen Eli’s face as he slept. Usually Eli slept with a tense expression on his face as though he was to be attacked at any moment. His shoulders would be hunched and his right hand was kept low on his side as if a knife was hidden within the clothing as to surprise any would be attacker who attempted to harm him. He kept his clothing within close reach. A habit he had kept from his shipping days Thrawn presumed, in case he had to make a swift exit in respectable enough clothing from an unknown assailant. But tonight, Eli Vanto slept peacefully on Thrawn’s shoulder.

 

In a way he was very naïve to. Thrawn had killed quite a few unsuspecting people in their sleep. He did not like it of course, it was not honourable, but it was what had to be done. His goals had outmatched the lives of the people he had killed. However, in this case, he choose to study Eli a bit more. This was probably the closest encounter Thrawn had had with a person without killing them. He did not know when Eli would wake and so he would take as much time as he could to study Eli, like a painter of his masterpiece.

 

Eli had strong jawline with the beginning of beard emerging. The beard was something Thrawn had always found strange, as his kind could only grow hair on their heads and were otherwise hairless. The Academy had strict rules that banned all beards like facial hair for cadets, so not to be distracting to others. This did not mean Thrawn had not thought about what Eli could have looked like with a full beard and it awoke a very odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. His eyes also interested Thrawn as they were so different to his own. While Thrawn’s red eyes only had two colours in them, a darker red for the iris and a light around that, Eli’s eyes had a warm honeyed brown to them with flecks of gold. Thrawn would have liked to have studied them further but observing his translator’s eye balls would cause some discomfort to Eli.

 

Thrawn moved slightly to observe him better and as he did Eli moved closer and curled around him with a soft ‘No’ gasping from his lips. Once Eli had settled Thrawn continued his observing and moved his hand to touch Eli’s face. His hand curled around the side of Eli’s face and moved slowly along the jawline. This was such an intimate moment that Thrawn had never encountered and it put a great fear into him. Eli, though still in a sleep state, moved his face further into Thrawn’s hand like a magnet, allowing a further cupping of his face and let out a small sigh. Blood began to rush to Thrawn’s cheeks and he could feel the room getting warmer. He also realised the glands in his hand were beginning to sweat. The room was rapidly beginning to fill with his scent and his scent markings were appearing on the side of Eli’s face. He began to panic. Something that he was not accustomed to doing. If he was to move his hand Eli would seek to move where ever it went and if he were to wake up in this compromising position, both sight and smell, Thrawn would not be able to explain this one. However, if he kept his hand to his face eventual it would go numb and Thrawn did want to sleep tonight. 

 

He sighed. He best put Eli to bed, where Eli’s scent was strongest and try to wash his own scent off. Scents were for claiming and he was to make no claim on Eli Vanto, yet. No, he would not he told himself firmly. _But it would let others know that Eli was his and reduce the potential for unwanted attention._ No, he told himself firmly again. If Eli wanted this it would have to be consensual, he was not a brute or scum.

 

Thrawn gently hooked his other arm under Eli’s legs, trying with all his might not to move his hand from Eli’s face. As he raised Eli from his chair, Eli’s cheek moved from his hand to just above his heart. Thrawn stopped again. This was getting into very dangerous territory as he could feel some deep primal instinct wanting to scent him there and then but he fought back with equal viciousness. He moved and gently laid Eli back onto his own bunk and place the covers over him. He then quickly hurried to their shared bathroom and grabbed a face cloth. Wetting the face cloth with warm water, he quickly returned back to Eli who lay in the same position that Thrawn had left him in. Carefully Thrawn dabbed along the side of Eli’s face hoping to remove as much of his scent as he could. When it had been removed, Thrawn turned away from Eli, cursing himself for such as stupid mistake to make. He had been animalistic and disgusting far from his collect and calm self. This would not happen again he swore to himself.

 

‘Thrawn..’

Thrawn whipped round. Eli was still asleep. Thank the stars.

‘Thrawn, don’t go…’

Thrawn cautiously moved towards Eli. He could see his arms outstretched as if to embrace someone. Thrawn caught one of the hands in his own two and Eli’s body soften, curling back into the bed and falling back to deep sleep.

‘I am here’ Thrawn whispered in Sy Bisti. ‘My scented one’.

 

 

 

 

 

  
  


	2. Cold Comfort

Eli did not understand where he was. His eyes looked around trying to take in his bizarre surroundings. He appeared to be underwater, that much he could tell, the inky blackness surrounded him and the warm water encircled him. Yet, he did not feel as if he was drowning. But then he reasoned, there was no way he could be underwater as hundreds upon thousands of stars surrounded him. As he concentrated harder the more they seemed to blaze at him. Many glowed white but others soft pinks, dark blues and flaming reds. He seemed to be floating surrounded by stars. But that was absurd. This was absurd.

 

As he tried to move his body, his movements felt slow and heavy. He tried to cry out but his voice seemed to be lost to the eternal void. The stars appeared to be coming closer. Eli could feel the heat radiating off them. Eli suddenly stared in horror as he saw his uniform beginning to singe. The ends of his sleeves beginning to glow and blacken from the heat. His skin was red raw and burning from the heat. Eli began to panic. Frantically, Eli tried to kick or push himself away from the burning fire. His limbs refused to move. With all his might he tried to get his arms and legs to push, to kick, to do anything to get away from his burning pursuers. The stars loomed closer, no longer the benign twinkling lights they were only moments ago, but now scorching beings come to consume him.

 

Suddenly, arms wrapped themselves around Eli. Wonderfully cool protective arms that twisted themselves around his chest and pulled him away from the burning stars. His back was thrust heavily into someone’s chest. Eli looked wildly around trying to see the face of his rescuer but when he looked up he saw that the face was covered by a dark black hood.

 

‘Who?’ Eli whispered but then his voice died in his chest as his mysterious rescuer unwound the protective arms that held him to them and released him. Eli felt himself being pulled back towards his flaming attackers. Eli turned around to face his rescuer, his arms desperately out. 

 

‘No!’ Eli cried. ‘No please! I’ll die if you let me go!’

 

The cloaked figure appeared to understand this as with a great urgency Eli saw the hand of the stranger grab his, and he felt himself being pulled back into the cool, safe arms which encircled him once more. Eli turned his head around to look at the stars but they were so small now and had gone back to their innocent twinkling. He moved his head slowly back to look at his rescuer. He was now face to face, or at least if the person had a face as the hood covered much of it. Eli made to say something, maybe a thanks for his rescue? He wasn’t sure.

 

Then the figure did something Eli had never expected. It lifted its hand and slowly traced its fingers down the left side of Eli’s face. His breath was caught in his throat. Normally, Eli would have pulled away from this such intimate encounter. He had barely let anyone touch him, physical affection was only reserved for family and to be touched like this? Eli wasn’t sure what he was getting himself into but like a magnet he stayed attached to the hand and let it trace his face with no resistance. As it did so, Eli felt his skin tingle with an icy coldness. He gasped as the hand went lower along his cheek down his neck and reaching the top of his chest. As his eyes followed the hand he soon realised that as the hand was moving down it was leaving some kind of fluorescent blue residue on his face, neck and chest, that swirled to form intricate patterns, great arcs and curves that spread themselves along the left side of his body. His eyes widened but still he did not attempt to push away. However now a raw, enflamed part of him, one that he had never encountered before wanted to move closer. This fire gripped his chest, smouldering as hotly as the stars had been, a contrast to the coolness of his rescuer and he now leaned into the strangers hand desperately.

 

Eli felt the stranger stiffen and try to pull away but Eli persisted and then found himself with his head resting on the stranger’s chest right above his heart. Eli could hear the soft pounding of it, a steady thump that gave him a sense of comfort and safety that he had not experienced for a long time. He closed his eyes and felt himself drift into a deep slumber. He had the odd sensation of something warm and wet being quickly dabbed along where the stranger had touched. The icy coldness along his skin was beginning to fade.

 

‘No don’t go!’ he softly pleaded.

 

But the markings and the stranger were fading fast and he was being dragged back into the eternal void. He made a grab at the hood to pull it off. He had to see the face of his saviour. As he did so the face under the hood was revealed.  

 

It was Thrawn.

 

‘Thrawn’ Eli gasped.

 

Thrawn looked down at Eli, with his piercing red eyes penetrating through him. Eli stared in complete shock and yet there remained that fanatical fire that drove him towards Thrawn, when all other parts screamed no.

 

‘Thrawn, don’t go!’ Eli heard himself cry his arms trying to cling to Thrawn’s figure but it moved out of Eli’s grasp and he was drawn back into the darkness of empty space. He thought he heard something being whispered to him but it was lost to the rushing winds that whipped past his ears.

 

***

 

Eli awoke with a start. He was face down in his bed, with his face pressed into the pillow and his covers wound tightly around him. He then became very aware of his raging hard on.

 

‘Aww kriff’ he painfully moaned into the pillow.

 

He slowly moved his head in the direction of Thrawn to see if he was asleep. Thankfully he was. But the more Eli stared at Thrawn’s sleeping form, the curve of his muscles displayed through his night shirt and his normally tidied hair tousled by sleep, the harder he seemed to get. He had to think fast. Quick think of anything! Uh… the assignment from last night! He concentrated hard trying to see the calculations for laser beams in his head. That was the one that Thrawn had helped him with… No! That made it much worse. The ugly cafeteria lady that served them food in the cafeteria hall! Her small pug like face and bulging eyes would put anyone off. Eli screwed his eyes tight shut trying to remember her face. Thrawn had commented, just after they had seen her, that even though they were at the centre of the Empire the food produced at the cafeteria was vastly inferior to everything that he had previously consumed. A test perhaps, he had mused, to wheedle out the weak stomached. After he had said this he was sucking up the noodles they had been served. Thrawn’s head was bobbing up and down as he swallowed them down whole making a faint slurping sound. As he finished he looked up at Eli small drips of soup trickled around his mouth. NO! Think of anything else! Home maybe? His life back with his family. His family’s ships soaring through space delivering cargo. He tried to remember sitting in the cockpit as a boy. The front of the ship penetrating the inky blackness of space. Hot, wet and wanting.

 

He was going to be harder than Doomium at this rate. He had to take care of himself as quickly as he could, without Thrawn seeing.

 

Eli as quickly and quietly as he could, grabbed his uniform and towel from the end of his bed and dashed towards their shared bathroom. He thought he heard the creak of Thrawn’s bed but he had no time to turn and look and see if he had woken up his roommate. He made it into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He began to pull off his clothes only to realise he was still wearing his uniform from yesterday. Eli paused. The last thing he remembered was starting the final question of the assignment with Thrawn last night. How had he got from his desk to his bed? Eli chewed his lip thinking. Had he sleepwalked to his bed? No that couldn’t have been possible as he still remembered being seated at the desk ready to face the last question. A horrible thought crossed his mind. Had Thrawn put him to bed? Eli felt his face redden and the tips of his ears burn. That was out of the question. Thrawn wouldn’t do that. Right? He huffed. He would have to think about that later. Right now, he had bigger problems to deal with. Ripping off the rest of his clothes, he dived into the refresher and turned the water on full blast so to drown out any potential uh… noise that could wake Thrawn.    

 

As he moved under the refresher, head taking on the full blast of the water that enveloped his body, his hand moved lower to deal with the other head. He was slow at first savouring the act. He moved his hand up and down his length gradually picking up the pace while his other finger slowly began to encircle one of his nipples. He let out a filthy moan and quickly hushed himself. He stuck his fingers in his mouth to shut himself up but noticed too late that he had started sucking on them, taking them fully in his mouth and moving them in rhythm to the pulling of his length. He tried to stop himself again from whimpering from the lewdness of the act but let out a small groan. One of the downsides with Thrawn was that he had limited alone time to concentrate on himself as Thrawn was mostly glued to his side but with Thrawn otherwise preoccupied right now he could not miss this opportunity. Eli moved the fingers from his mouth to his ass. He braced himself and lent back against the wet wall of the refresher as he began to slowly fuck himself. He wondered briefly how thick Thrawn would be, if alien genitalia worked that way, and fantasised about Thrawn pushing slowly into him from behind. His hands, not Eli’s, stroking down along his length. Eli moaned and came then but just as he thought he was done he could feel his dick rapidly becoming harder again.

 

‘Are you kriffing kidding me?’ He said disbelievingly.

 

He started again only this time with a renewed vigour and speed that he had not performed the first time. Did Chiss have dirty talk? He tried to imagine Thrawn saying something filthy and lewd in Sy Bisti. However, as Sy Bisti was primarily a trading language and with his limited command of the language, he could think of quite a few different words for ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ but not ‘dick’ or ‘fuck’. Maybe his own language? Eli had only heard Thrawn say a few words from his own language, a musical sounding language, so he tried to concentrate on what he remember Thrawn saying then. Soon after Eli came and as the beast did not rise again, he stepped out of the refresher and dried himself off.

 

He pulled on his fresh uniform and looked at himself in the mirror. He needed to shave. He could see a shadow forming along his face, he could get written up for that and so it needed to go. Thrawn was lucky as a Chiss not being able to grow facial hair, Eli thought, it was a pain in the stars to deal with his beard as it grew back with an incredible speed. Once he had shaved and tried to tame his hair, he then unlocked the door to the bathroom and walked towards his bed throwing the uniform from last night into the laundry chute.

 

The sound of the light thump of the clothes hitting the bottom of the chute seemed to rouse Thrawn. As Eli sat down on his bed, he saw Thrawn rise, rubbing his eyes and freezing. Thrawn inhaled deeply and Eli saw his face change from calm tranquilly to full alert, and he noted, a small hint of panic? Eli cleared his throat.

 

‘Is everything alright sir?’

 

Thrawn did not look at Eli. He remained in his stiffened state. Eli tried again.

 

‘Sir?’ he said a little louder.

 

Again, Thrawn did not look at Eli. The more Eli stared at Thrawn the more Thrawn looked strained, like he was gonna puke or something. His lips were tightened and his brows deeply creased.

 

‘You’re lookin’ a little ill, sir. You sure you’re well enough to go to that art exhibit?’    

 

Thrawn’s eyes trailed slowly towards Eli. Thrawn looked like he was a man about to be sent off to war and when he spoke there was a slight shake to his voice that Eli had never encountered.

 

‘I… I am quite well cadet, I…’ Thrawn’s voice trailed off. His eyes began to dart quickly around the room as though searching for something.  ‘Merely distracted’

 

‘Distracted?’ Eli cheerfully snorted. ‘Not like you sir? You sure you‘re not feeling a little peaky?’

 

Thrawn eyes snapped back to Eli and it was clear that Eli had just hit a nerve.

 

‘Cadet,’ Thrawn said ‘I can assure you I am in perfect health at this moment. Chiss are not as susceptible to sickness unlike you humans who could drop dead from a solitary sneeze’.

 

I think you’ll find we’re stronger than that, Eli thought irritably. Plus, humans had developed medication to deal with that. He didn’t dare say this out loud of course. He had a hot temper like his father, but years at the academy had taught him that getting emotional and being a loud mouth got you nowhere. Or worse.

 

Thrawn suddenly threw the covers off himself and stood up, striding towards Eli. Eli only had a moment to question this sudden flamboyant display before Thrawn’s face was directly in front of his own. They were almost nose to nose. Eli tried to lean back but Thrawn placed his hand tightly on Eli’s shoulder preventing him from moving any further away from Thrawn. Eli felt an uncomfortable twinge in his stomach, this is how some of his fantasies involving Thrawn started. Thrawn grabbing him by the shoulders, pinning him to him while whispering in his ear all the filthy things that he and Eli were about to do. Then pushing him down onto the bed to... Eli halted himself there and concentrated at the matter at hand. Thrawn seemed to be looking for something on his face. He could feel his eyes trace along his jaw line. Was Thrawn really checking if he had properly shaved? He knew Thrawn was a stickler for rules but this was just ridiculous.

 

‘I shaved this morning’ Eli said flatly. ‘Trust me I’m clean. You can’t get much hairless than this.’

 

Thrawn gave him a confused stare. He felt the hand on his shoulder loosen as Thrawn pulled back.

 

‘I get it’s regulation to be clean shaven but there’s not much else I can do sir’.

 

‘Eli, are you well?’

 

It was Eli’s turn to look confused.

 

‘I suppose sir? No one has sneezed near me as far as I know’.

 

‘You do not feel heated in anyway? Is your throat dry or do you smell anything different?’ 

 

Eli touched his throat. He didn’t feel any warmer and his throat felt fine. He took a sniff of the air. It smelled normal if a little musky. The smell of the shaving cream Eli used had a very strong smell to it which infected the whole of the bathroom when he used it. He’d not shut the door on his way out and it was now starting to infect their room.

 

‘No, I don’t feel or smell anything different sir. Unless you’ve sneezed on me and I’m hallucinating’. Eli joked.

 

Thrawn took a few steps back and crossed his arms. Eli still felt himself being probed by Thrawn’s eyes. As if he was searching along Eli’s skin to reveal some dark secret to him. Eli stood up.

 

‘If you really think I’m ill sir, I’ll go to the infirmary but it means I won’t be able to go on this trip of yours’

 

‘No’ Thrawn said quickly, Eli noticed there was a hint of desperation in his voice. That was new.

 

‘If you believe you are well cadet, then I think we can proceed. I trust in your judgement. I... uh… must prepare myself for the coming day.’

 

Thrawn grabbed a fresh set of clothes and headed towards the bathroom leaving Eli feeling very confused.     

 

He pressed his hand to his forehead and felt a normal temperature. Could Chiss sense illness in others? Thrawn could read people but could he tell when they were about to become ill? But physically he felt fine. Could Thrawn see if someone was wrong mentally? Was it his lewd thoughts that Thrawn thought that was making him ill? He hoped Chiss couldn’t read minds.

 

As he began to wallow in his uncomfortable thoughts about what Thrawn could have seen in his head, the door to the bathroom swung open and Thrawn stepped out freshly washed and changed into his uniform.

 

‘Shall we go?’

 

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this got angsty. I swear they will get to the art exhibit soon!


	3. Conflicted Observations

The sky was cloudless and the sun was just beginning to rise when Eli and Thrawn left the Imperial Academy. A tired looking guard stamping their passes and allowing them access out of the main doors of the Imperial academy. As the doors slid open Eli got his first observance of the city in the early hours of the morning. While the Imperial City never slept, there was as Eli noted, a certain hush that he had not seen before. He never had the time to observe the city. His and Thrawn’s days were spent mostly at the academy, learning how to be worthy cadets to serve the Empire, and even when they were allowed out it was not without the presence of their instructor. This was unusual to be let out alone with just him and Thrawn. He be damned if he knew how Thrawn managed to pull this little stunt. Did Thrawn have friends in higher places that Eli did not know about? He knew the Emperor certainly saw a use for Thrawn however, this seemed so below the priorities of an Emperor that Eli had to rule out this thought. Then who? Normal cadets were never allowed this much freedom. But, as Eli reasoned, they were not ‘normal’ in any sense. As non-human and an outsider from Wild Space it certainly made them an odd pair.

Eli sighed.

‘Cadet?’ Thrawn’s voice cut across his thoughts. ‘Is there something the matter?’

‘No sir,’ Eli replied. ‘Just thinkin’’.

‘I see’ said Thrawn.

As they reached the street, a Coruscant air taxi was waiting for them. The driver was a very old human, deep stress lines on his brows and the bags under his eyes showed the toll that taxiing had taken on him. Eli gave the man a polite nod of greeting and the old man grunted back. They got into the taxi and the driver sped off. It felt like the drive was never ending. They flew in the traffic lanes with hundreds of other taxis and vehicles shooting past them. Eli wanted to say something to break the silence that hung around him and Thrawn. He also had a long list of questions that he had for Thrawn as well. Why had Thrawn acted the way he had this morning? And why was he so convinced that Eli was sick? Another uncomfortable question crossed Eli’s mind, what part had Thrawn played in getting Eli from his desk to his bed? He had tried to supress it, but it kept bubbling up back to the surface of his mind.

He suddenly noticed in the reflection of the taxi window that Thrawn was gazing at him intently. Thrawn’s eyes were narrowed and fingers were pressed to his mouth. Eli shifted uncomfortably in his seat, turning to face Thrawn and was about to screw up the courage to say something when…

‘We’ve arrived’ barked the taxi driver.

Eli broke away from the gaze of the Chiss and got out of the taxi, followed closely by Thrawn. Once both of them were out, the taxi quickly zoomed away.

‘Wait, how are we supposed to get back to the academy?’ Eli asked.

‘He has been given specific instructions to take us back to the academy before dusk’ Thrawn replied coolly. ‘That should give us plenty of time to observe the exhibit. Now, shall we?’

Trust Thrawn to be in the loop and Eli out of it, Eli thought sourly. Well, at least he knew now.

Eli followed Thrawn up the steps to the Galaxies Opera House. As they entered, Eli marvelled at the grandness of the place. The floors were carpeted in a deep red and the walls and ceilings, painted in a delicate gold that arched high above them. The place was lit by hundreds of ornate chandeliers that reflected the light to every corner, bathing the room with a warm yellow glow. Every few feet stood an attendant standing alert, all wearing the same black suit with white shirt but with a red waist coat with golden buttons gleaming in the light.  A few placards were placed in the walls all praising the Emperors patronage of the Opera House. A painting of the Emperor hung over the main entrance to the concert hall.  The emperor was sat regally on his thrown, gazing out at his audience. He looked both powerful and ominous. The sight sent a shiver down Eli’s spine. Some people stood about, dressed in grand robes implying they were amongst the elite of Coruscant. The rich robes of purples, reds and blues lined with silver or gold made Eli feel very out of place.  The ornate jewellery worn by the people probably would cost hundreds more than what his parents could ever earn in their entire lifetime. He felt like a scruffy nerf hearder amongst a bevy of Alderaanian swans.

‘Ventra heststi’ Thrawn murmured disdainfully to Eli.

‘What sir?’ Eli said quickly.

Thrawn sighed and translated. ‘This place is unappealing to the eye. The décor borders on garish and the people equally so’.

Eli looked around. The place was quite showy and the brightness of the place was starting to annoy Eli’s eyes. The light reflected harshly off the walls and the gentle tinkering of the chandeliers was starting to get distracting. 

‘I believe the exhibition is through here’ Thrawn pointed to a side corridor off the main entrance that Eli had not spotted before. A sign outside it proclaimed ‘ _Through here to Galaxy’s Greatest Artworks’._

Thrawn led the way. At the entrance an attendant stood, a short plump middle-aged human wearing the same uniform as those in the main foyer with a thick brown walrus moustache which he snorted through when he saw Eli and Thrawn approaching. He eyed them suspiciously but as Thrawn presented the tickets and permission slip from the Academy there was not much that the man could do. He huffed and stamped the tickets.

They walked past down the corridor to the exhibit but not before Eli heard him muttered ‘Alien’s whore’. A boiling fury ripped through Eli and he began to turn to face the attendant. He felt Thrawn’s hand close around his own. Surprised Eli looked at Thrawn.

‘Leave him,’ Thrawn commanded. ‘He is not worthy of your attention’.

Eli reluctantly obeyed.

An impatient ‘Excuse me!’ was barked behind them. They turned and saw a tired looking male Duros stood behind them. The Duros blue-green skin was wrinkled with stress lines and it wore a think grey overall with ‘Cleaner’ written over its chest. The red eyes bulged at them and lipless mouth turned down with annoyance. It was holding a mop and a bucket filled with cleaning fluid.

‘Didn’t think they let people in this early’ the Duros said grumpily. ‘Still haven’t finished my cleaning of the exhibition’.

‘We don’t mind waiting’ Eli replied cheerfully. ‘We’ll just wait out here until you’re done’.

As Eli and Thrawn moved to let him through, the Duros walked then stopped and threw a curious expression at Eli then to Thrawn. His brows raised in surprise and his eyes widened. Then he took a small sniff of the air. Eli had no idea what the Duros was doing. The Duros said to Thrawn ‘Kusat’a Fullua te pen nan a? Duk nocke van has’a’ tella duk tanna epe’.

‘Sorry, my Durese isn’t very good could you say that in basic?’ Eli said. He didn’t catch what the Duros had said, the language was harsh and guttural so made understanding it a challenge to anyone.  

He turned to Thrawn and felt a chill run down his spine at the expression on Thrawn’s face. A cold pure fury emitted from Thrawn. His red eyes blazed with anger and Eli felt his hand being more tightly gripped by Thrawn’s. While Eli had not understood a word of the Duros, Thrawn had.

‘What? Sir what did he…’

‘Watch your tongue, Duros’ Thrawn hissed at the Duros in Durese. He drew a little closer to the Duros raising himself to his full height. His eyes flashed and tone was cold and menacing. ‘The only filth I see is this one standing before me. I can imagine that your superior would not be please if one of their employees was caught dawdling on the job? Do you not have cleaning to do?’.

The Duros backed away in fear. Then he puffed out his chest to retain a small amount of dignity and moved on, muttering darkly to himself. However, as Thrawn observed he slightly turned his head to keep Eli in as much viewing distance as he could, and then he was gone. There was something unsettling about the attention that the Duros had given Eli. He thought he had scraped off all the scent, however a part of it still clung to Eli. He would have to see it all gone. He had concluded that humans could not detect the scent markings of the Chiss since his conversation with Eli that morning however he had not expected to take other species into the equation. The vast majority of those at the academy were human and so could not detect the markings. Taking non-humans into account would put Thrawn in a place of discomfort that he was not used to. The majority of humans they had interacted with had deeply disproved their partnership but saw it only as amicable.  However, including non-humans made it all the more difficult and especially when they could detect the scent markings and so could see that their relationship was far from friendly.

‘Sir?’ Thrawn’s eyes darted back to Eli. Eli stood tense next to him. His brows were furrowed and he was nervously biting his lip. He realised with a start that Eli was looking fearfully at him as if he were about to strike him. He could also now smell the scent markings stronger than ever. Thrawn quickly soften his expression and he did he saw Eli hesitantly relaxing, but still keeping a watchful look.

Thrawn sighed and attempted to defuse the situation.

‘Cadet, do not be worried about the situation that occurred. There was simply a misunderstanding that took place’.    

He expected Eli to be comforted by these words but Eli still looked worried. His eyes were wide with concern.

‘He didn’t say anything to offend you sir? We could find his supervisor and complain’.

Thrawn smiled, the amount of consideration that Eli gave him was touching to say the least. He could see in Eli’s face that a plan was beginning to form to get back at those who had wronged them. He temporarily indulged in the idea of the execution of the plan before pulling himself back. This was not the time to get him involved in petty misgivings these would divulge away from his careful planning and calculations. Maybe one day, but today was not that day. Moreover, he did not want to get Eli in any trouble. Eli played a central part to his plan and to lose him would be catastrophic.

‘No, as I said before, there is no need to worry or take further action. It was a simple misunderstanding. We shall wait here until it is done.’

He could see Eli wanting to argue back but in the end Eli held his tongue and fixed his eyes on the ground.

‘You can let go of my hand sir’.

‘Sorry?’.

‘My hand, you’re still holding it’.

‘Ah yes.’ Thrawn let go, feeling a pang of loss as he slipped his hand out of Eli’s. The stood awkwardly for a moment.

‘I’m done’ growled the Duros and pushed past them.

Thrawn shot him a disdainful look and saw Eli wondering along the corridor towards the exhibit. Then to his horror he could smell the scent, his scent, thickly coating the air around him. He looked at his hand that had just let go of Eli’s and saw what he thought was sweat but now hormone secreting out of it. What had he done?

‘You coming, sir?’ Eli’s voice interrupted his panicked thoughts.

Thrawn hurried toward him. They passed through a set of red double doors at the end of the corridor and entered a gigantic room. The walls were painted white and the celling had a huge circler skylight than lit up the whole room with the cool morning light. This gave the room a light and airy feel. On the walls hung paintings of various sizes, small intimate portraits of people and lands far from Corosant and other huge pieces depicting the epic battles of aliens and scenes of foreign landscapes. Thrawn turned to look at Eli whose face was in awe. Eli rushed to look at the biggest painting in the room. The painting showed an immense battle taking place in a sea of stars and planets. The ships had some semblance of imperial fighters however their designs were slightly more crude and _colourful._  If not for his enhanced eye sight, a person could be fooled into thinking that it was a photograph, but Thrawn could see where some brush strokes had been made in painting but otherwise it was perfect. He strolled towards Eli who was gazing at the painting, mouth open. Thrawn couldn’t help but smile. Eli’s expression had such a look of child-like curiosity but more so delight. This a trait so unique to humans but Eli was something else. Seeing Eli happy produced a sense of calm that he had not felt in a long time. As the sense of calm grew so did a nagging protectiveness, this feeling had been present since their first encounter, when he had been caught by the Imperial fleet. When he had seen the boy who had so much potential. Potential that would shape the man he would be. He would do everything in his power to protect that smile. He would protect Eli Vanto, even if it meant putting himself on the line. 

‘Sir, it’s a beautiful painting’ Eli murmured breathlessly to Thrawn.

‘Yes, cadet’. Though Thrawn wasn’t looking at the painting. 

‘How do you think they did it? It must have taken them hundreds of hours, look at all that detail!’

‘The detail is not the aspect that you should not be considering’

‘What?’ Eli said confused looking at Thrawn.

‘If we look closer at the painting, the details are less refined, who ever painted this work clearly meant for the viewer to view it as a whole rather than individual pieces. To look at the bigger picture as humans say’.

Eli moved closer to the picture and squinted. As he looked closer at the painting, he did see more clearly some of the rougher aspects of the painting. Not all the planets where as refined as they appeared from a distance and the ships lacked detail that he had not spotted before.

‘Perhaps the artist intends to comment is that by seeing only the small aspects of the painting we miss the grandeur and message of the image. A truly interesting style’

‘You’re good at this understanding art stuff’ Eli commented.

‘I am merely interpreting from the art presented before me. To develop an understanding of art is an art within itself’.

‘An art of understanding?’.

‘In a way’.

‘Through art we can understand people and learn from their cultures and ways of thinking. From this we can see that this culture favoured the grand spectacle rather than the delicate detail. Which is most likely why they saw defeat at the hands of the Empire.’

‘Defeat? How do you know that?’.

Thrawn gestured. ‘There’s a sign under the painting detailing that it was taken as a trophy from the Sakiyans, from the planet Saki, for the glory of the Emperor’.

Eli bent down. He did indeed see a small white sign detailing where the painting had come from and how it had come into the possession of the Empire. A gift to the Emperor from their new gracious rulers of the planet, the Hutts.

‘The Hutts?’ Eli’s voice shook with shock. ‘Aren’t they criminals or something?’

‘Yes’ Thrawn said darkly. ‘Curious’.

‘Why would the Hutts gift this to the Empire? And why would they accept this? I thought we were protecting the galaxy not working with this… scum’. Eli spat out the last word.

‘You have strong feelings about this?’

‘Yes’ Eli said savagely. ‘These are the kinds of slimy double-crossing blood suckers that prey on the businesses like my family and people from back home run. They attack them and drain them of all they’ve got, or they forced them into impossible contracts or…’

Thrawn saw Eli glance nervously at him. It was clear Eli thought he had spoken out of line.

‘I’m sorry sir, I’.

‘There is no need to apologise, come there is plenty more art for us to look at’.

They passed the next hour and a bit in silence, observing the rest of the artwork in the room. Thrawn could see that Eli was still fuming about the first painting. His cheeks were alive with an angry heat and his hands were curled into fists. While he could understand Eli’s sentiment it also created more lines of questioning that he had not considered before. Alliances were necessary even if they were those who could be considered unfavourable however, this type of alliance was unruly and dangerous. Wild beasts rarely thought about the future and building stable relationships, more often than not alliances were temporary and short term and their outcomes disastrous. And if this matter effected Eli so greatly, he would naturally have to engage with it however, that would be a future goal among his many others.

‘Is this it, sir?’ Eli asked finally breaking the silence between them.

‘No there are two more rooms. If you are tiring cadet, you can wait out here’.

‘No, I’ll come with you.’

‘Very well’.

They moved into the next room and Eli wondered if his day could get any worse.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Hopefully a new chapter will be up soon!


End file.
